Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization

Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO)
Map with current and former UNPO members (as of 2015)
Secretary General	Marino Busdachin (since 2003)
founding	February 11, 1991
Members of the UNPO	43 (as of May 2019)
UNPO headquarters	The Hague , Netherlands
Website	www.unpo.org

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization ( UNPO ) (German: Organization of the unrepresented nations and peoples ) is an interest group for states, nations and peoples that are not recognized as states by the United Nations . As an international organization within the meaning of international law, the UNPO is only recognized by the Netherlands ; other states see it only as a private citizens' initiative.

The UNPO represents indigenous groups and peoples (e.g. the Mapuche Indians in Argentina and Chile ), unrecognized or occupied states (e.g. Tibet ) and ethnic minorities (e.g. the Haratin in Mauritania ) from all parts of the world the earth. There are no fixed criteria for “nation” or “people”; The General Assembly decides on the admission of new members.

The declared aim of the UNPO is to help its members to use local, national, regional and international mechanisms more effectively and to make their situation better known through public relations work, for example introductory courses and workshops on international law, PR methods and activism techniques. Traditional culture and identity are to be protected.

history

The idea of ​​an organization for the cooperation of different peoples with similar problems and interests was implemented in the 1980s by three opponents of Chinese neo-imperialism , the Tibetan activist Tsering Jampa , the Uyghur activist Erkin Alptekin and Michael van Walt van Praag , a longtime lawyer of the 14th century. Dalai Lamas .

In September 1990, in Tartu, Estonia, the fundamental decision was made to found such an international non-governmental organization . On February 11, 1991 at the Hague signed the Peace Palace representatives from Armenia , Estonia , Georgia , the Iraqi Kurdistan , the Philippine Cordilleras , Latvia , East Turkestan , Palau , Taiwan , Tatarstan , Tibet and West Papua and the Aborigines of Australia, the Greek minority in Albania and the Crimean Tatars the relevant document. The aim of the organization is to represent the interests of its members in international bodies and to support the respective intentions of its members in a non-violent manner.

The Hague was chosen for the seat because this city is home to many international organizations, most notably the International Court of Justice, which is important for the UNPO, and the International Criminal Court . UNPO also has an office in Brussels , a representation in Geneva and a global network of partners. The organization is financed through grants from members and donations from individuals and foundations. In 1998 the first Petra Kelly Prize went to the UNPO.

Goals and work

The members undertake to be guided by five principles in their work:

1. Acceptance of the equality of all nations and peoples and recognition of the right of peoples to self-determination .
2. Respect for human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights .
3. Confession to democracy and pluralism as well as rejection of totalitarianism and religious intolerance .
4. Rejection of terrorism as a means of enforcing interests.
5. Respect for all people and population groups.

About 90% of all conflicts today are internal. The UN, however, only represents states; their ability to resolve domestic conflicts is therefore limited. UNPO helps unrecognized states and oppressed population groups to participate effectively in international bodies and v. a. Use UN and EU mechanisms effectively to get support for their rights.

The organization helps members find peaceful and non-violent ways to resolve conflicts and put an end to oppression. It stands up for its self-determination rights and federalism , as well as for the preservation of culture and the environment .

As an association consisting entirely of its members, the organization has become known for responding quickly to crises and providing up-to-date information on the situation of oppressed people, which is passed on to the UN human rights mechanisms in alternative reports. UNPO also increases the profile of its members through press work and campaigns for members in the European Parliament and in UN meetings.

The association helps members work together effectively, share experiences and support one another. In order to strengthen local organizations and human rights activists, UNPO offers courses and workshops. The topics are tailored to the wishes of the participants. B. Courses on human rights and UN human rights mechanisms, project management , the use of different media for press work and many other possibilities for peaceful activism.

The association can also be found on site in affected communities, where it organizes projects for sustainable poverty reduction and peacekeeping . Examples are schools in Mauritania , which offer mothers with children who have been freed from slavery professional measures.

Organizational structure

The organs are the General Assembly, the Presidium and the General Secretariat. The cooperation is regulated in the statutes of the organization (English: covenant , i.e. binding agreement, oath), which can be adapted to the circumstances with a two-thirds majority .

The General Assembly of the UNPO, in which every member has a seat and vote, meets every two years for regular meetings. It is the highest decision-making body. It determines the fundamentals and priorities of the work, decides on membership applications and elects both the steering committee and the general secretary.

The Presidium ( presidency ) meets at least twice a year. Until 2006, the body had been referred to as the steering committee and until that year consisted of seven members. As of 2006, the Presidium consisted of a President, a Vice-President and nine members. This was changed by statute in June 2017 to a president, two vice-presidents and eight delegates from the member states. The main task of the Presidium is the planning (including financial planning) of the projects approved by the General Assembly.

The General Secretariat administers the daily work of the UNPO and represents it externally. The Secretary General is elected for a three-year term and is assisted by two assistants. The first general secretary was Michael van Walt ; Helen Corbett , an Aboriginal from Australia, was one of the later general secretaries . An Italian, Marino Busdachin, has held this post since 2003 .

In 2001, the position of General Director was created and on January 19, 2002 , Karl Habsburg-Lothringen was appointed to the proposal of the General Secretary at the time, Erkin Alptekin . After the end of the one-year term of office, the post was not filled.

The association operates in Tartu, Estonia, and in the Washington, DC coordination office

List of members

The UNPO sees itself as an assembly of peoples and nations , which is why it collectively names entire ethnic groups or territories as members of the organization, e.g. B. "the Aborigines of Australia" or "the Chittagong Hill Tracts" in Bangladesh. In the descriptions of these “members”, a section entitled “Organization” or similar refers to the fact that the respective people are “represented” within the UNPO by a specific organization. In many cases it is questionable whether and to what extent the named organization can actually be regarded as a legitimate representative of the entire group. While for the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, for example, significant support from the Ogoni can be assumed, according to the description , the Turkmen of Iraq are represented in the UNPO by a private person, whose legitimacy and mandate cannot be stated.

UNPO members (as of September 2020, 39 members)
Africa
Ethnicity or territory	Country	represented by	Member since
Ambazonia	Cameroon	National Council of South Cameroon (SCNC)	December 19, 2004
Afrikaners	South Africa	Vryheidsfront Plus	May 15, 2008
Barotseland	Zambia	Barotse National Freedom Alliance	23rd November 2013
Haratin	Mauritania	Initiative de Résurgence du Mouvement Abolitionniste en Mauritanie (IRA)	September 18, 2011
Kabylia	Algeria	MAK-Anavad	2017
Ogaden	Ethiopia	Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF)	February 6, 2010
Ogoni	Nigeria	Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP)	January 19, 1993
Oromo	Ethiopia	Oromo Liberation Front (OLF)	December 19, 2004
Somaliland	Somalia	Government of the Republic of Somaliland	December 19, 2004
West Togoland	Ghana	Homeland Study Group Foundation	2017
America
District of Columbia	United States	New Columbia Statehood Commission	November 7, 2015
Asia
Ethnicity or territory	Country	represented by	Member since
Ahwazi ( Khuzestan )	Iran	Democratic Solidarity Party of Ahwaz (DSPA)	November 14, 2003
Assyria	Iraq , Turkey , Syria	Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA)	August 6, 1991
Balochistan	Pakistan	Balochistan National Party (BNP)	March 1, 2008
Chin	Myanmar	Chin National Front	July 15, 2001
Chittagong Hill Tracts	Bangladesh	Jana Sanghati Samiti (JSS)	August 6, 1991
Cordillera	Philippines	Cordillera People's Alliance (CPA)	February 11, 1991
Gilgit-Baltistan	Pakistan	Gilgit Baltistan Democratic Alliance (GBDA)	September 20, 2008
Hmong	Laos	Hmong ChaoFa Federated State	February 2, 2007
Inner Mongolia	People's Republic of China	Inner Mongolian People's Party (IMPP)	February 2, 2007
Iraqi Kurdistan	Iraq	Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP), Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)	February 11, 1991
Iranian Kurdistan	Iran	Democratic Party Kurdistan-Iran (PDKI)	February 2, 2007
Iraqi Turkmen	Iraq	Muzaffer Arslan (founder of the Iraqi National Turkmen Party (INTP))	August 6, 1991
Khmer Krom	Vietnam	Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation	July 15, 2001
Moros	Philippines	Moro Islamic Liberation Front	September 26, 2010
Degar - Montagnards	Vietnam	Montagnard Foundation Inc. (MFI)	November 14, 2003
Nagalim	India , Myanmar	National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN)	January 19, 1993
East Turkestan	People's Republic of China	World Uighur Congress (WUC)	February 11, 1991
Are	Pakistan	World Sindhi Institute (WSI)	January 19, 2002
South Azerbaijan	Iran	Southern Azerbaijan National Awakening Movement (SANAM)	February 2, 2007
South Moluccas	Indonesia	Government-in-exile of the Republic of Maluku Selatan	August 6, 1991
Taiwan (Republic of China)	claimed by the People's Republic of China	Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD)	February 11, 1991
Tibet	People's Republic of China	Tibetan government in exile	February 11, 1991
West Balochistan	Iran	Balochistan People's Party	June 26, 2005
Western New Guinea	Indonesia	Partai Nasional (NP), Partai Sosialist Demokratie Papua (PSDP), Partai Demokratie Papua (PDP)	February 11, 1991 to September 20, 2008, October 14, 2014
Europe
Ethnicity or territory	Country	represented by	Member since
Abkhazia	Georgia	Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia	August 6, 1991
Brittany	France	Kelc'h An Dael	July 2015
Çamen	Greece	Democratic Foundation of Chameria (DFC)	June 2017
Crimean Tatars	formally Ukraine , de facto Russia	Milli Mejlis (Parliament of the Crimean Tatars)	February 11, 1991
Greed	Russia	Federal Lezgin National Cultural Autonomy (FLNCA)	July 7, 2012
Savoy	France	Proposed provisional government of the "State of Savoy"	June 29, 2014

former members

Members admitted to the UN

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The following six states have meanwhile been accepted into the UN. The UNPO refers to a “moral obligation” of these former members to remain supporting members without voting rights (Article 38 of the UNPO Statute). However, they are not included in the membership directory.

After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, four UNPO members achieved independence and ended their membership of the UNPO:

•  Armenia member from February 11, 1991 to March 2, 1992
•  Estonia member from February 11, 1991 to August 17, 1991
•  Georgia member from February 11, 1991 to July 31, 1992
•  Latvia member from February 11, 1991 to August 17, 1991

Other members admitted to the UN:

•  East Timor member from January 17, 1993 to September 27, 2002; former Portuguese colony, became part of Indonesia in 1975 and independent in 2002.
•  Palau member from February 11, 1991 to December 15, 1994; previously part of the United States-administered Pacific Islands Trust Area and independent since 1994.

Members who left UNPO for other reasons, e.g. B. because they have reached self-determination agreements

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• Aceh member from August 6, 1991 to March 1, 2008; The peace agreements with Indonesia in 2005 gave the province as a special region certain autonomy rights, represented by Acheh-Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF)
• Albanians in North Macedonia member from April 16, 1994 to March 1, 2008; Conclusion of the Ohrid Framework Agreement with the Republic of Macedonia to create adequate representation of the Albanian minority in politics and administration.
• Bashkortostan member from February 3, 1996 to June 30, 1998, represented by the Bashkir opposition Follows Kyrgyzstan People
• Bougainville member from August 6, 1991 to March 1, 2008; became the only autonomous region of Papua New Guinea in 2000
• Chuvashia member from January 17, 1993 to March 1, 2008
• Gagauzia member from April 16, 1994 to December 1, 2007, since 1994 the Gagauz Autonomous Territorial Unit, which belongs to Moldova and has its own government
• Ingushetia member from July 30, 1994 to March 1, 2008
• Kumyken member from April 17, 1997 to March 1, 2008
• Lakota member from July 30, 1994 through December 1, 2007; declared independence from the USA as the Republic of the Lakota in Washington in 2007
• Maohi member from July 20, 1994 to December 1, 2007
• Nuxalk member from September 23, 1998 to March 1, 2008
• Russian member from September 23, 1998 to December 1, 2007
• Sacha member from August 3, 1993 to June 30, 1998
• Talysh Mugan Autonomous Republic member from June 26, 2005 to March 1, 2008
• Tatarstan member from February 11, 1991 to March 1, 2008
• Udmurtia (represented by Udmurt Kenesh) member from January 17, 1993 to July 6, 2013
• Zanzibar (represented by Zanzibar Democratic Alternative (ZADA), supported by the Civic United Front (CUF)) member from August 6, 1991 to July 1, 2015
• Venda (represented by the Dabalorivhuwa Patriotic Front (DPF)) member from November 14, 2003 to July 1, 2015
• Circassian (represented by the International Circassian Association) member from April 16, 1994 to November 6, 2015
• Hungarian minority in Romania (represented by the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania ) member from July 30, 1994 to 2015
• Mapuche (Consejo Inter-regional Mapuche (CIM)) member from January 19, 1993 to April 26, 2016
•  Kosovo (represented by the Democratic League of Kosovo ) member from August 6, 1991 to March 24, 2018

Membership suspended

• Aborigines of Australia, represented by the National Committee to Defend Black Rights (member from February 11, 1991 to July 7, 2012)
• Dene , represented by the Buffalo River Dene Nation (member from December 19, 2004 to October 9, 2009)
• Burma , represented by the National Council of the Union of Burma (member from May 15, 2008 to February 13, 2010)
• Buryatia , represented by the All-Buryat Association for the Development of Culture (member from February 3, 1996 to February 13, 2010)
• Greek minority in Albania , represented by the Democratic Union of the Greek Ethnic Minority in Albania (member from February 11, 1991 to July 7, 2012)
• Cabinda , represented by Forças Armadas de Cabinda (FLEC / FAC) (member from April 17, 1997 to September 18, 2011)
• Chechen Republic of Ichkeria , represented by the (internationally not recognized) government of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (member from 6 August 1991 to 10 September 2010)
• Ingermanland represented by Inkeri Liitto (member from January 17, 1993 to October 9, 2009)
• Kalahui Hawai'i , represented by Ka Lahui Hawaii (member from August 3, 1993 to July 7, 2012)
• Kayin State , represented by Karenni National Progressive Party (member from January 19, 1993 to July 7, 2012)
• Khalistan (member from January 24, 1993 to August 4, 1993) (final suspension January 22, 1995)
• Komi (member from January 17, 1993 to October 9, 2009)
• Maasai , represented by Maasai Women for Education and Economic Development (member from December 19, 2004 to July 7, 2012)
• Mari (member from August 6, 1991 to October 9, 2009)
• / Mon , represented by Mon Unity League (member from February 3, 1996 to July 7, 2012)
• Nahua del Alto Balsas represented by the Council of the Nahuas del Alto Balsas People (CPNAB) (member from December 19, 2004 to September 20, 2008)
• Sandžak member from January 17, 1993 to September 18, 2011
• Scania , represented by Future of Scania ( Stiftelsen Skånsk Framtid , SSF) (member from January 19, 1993 to September 18, 2011)
• / Shan , represented by the Shan States Organization (SSO) (member from April 17, 1997 to February 6, 2010)
• Tsimshian , represented by Tsimshian Nation: Gitlaxyuup-m and Smgigyet Society (member from February 2, 2007 to September 18, 2011)
• Tuvinian People's Republic (member from February 3, 1996 to February 13, 2010)

Web links

Commons : Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official website of the UNPO (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ unpo.org
2. ^ Martin Ebner: Lobby for overlooked peoples. Letzeburger Land, September 10, 2010. Accessed December 5, 2014 . 
3. ↑ Barbara Crossette: Those Knocking, Unheeded, at UN's Doors Find Champion. New York Times , December 18, 1994. Retrieved October 20, 2012 . 
4. ↑ Valerie Tishkov: An Anthropology of NGOs. Eurozine, July 2008. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on February 29, 2012 ; accessed on October 20, 2012 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
5. ^ Ron Gluckman: World's wanna-be republics find a home with UNPO . In: Asiaweek . Retrieved November 4, 2010. 
6. ↑ ^{a b c d e} UNPO 20th Anniversary Publication: Twenty Years of Promoting Nonviolence, Human Rights, and Self Determination (PDF), UNPO, The Hague, Netherlands 2011.
7. ^ Memorandum of Understanding (1990) ( Memento of January 17, 2017 in the Internet Archive ); accessed May 14, 2019.
8. ↑ Prize winner 1998 - Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO)
9. ^ Covenant establishing the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization. Article 5. Retrieved March 2, 2009 . 
10. ↑ INVITATION: UNPO International Human Rights & Project Cycle Management Training Program. Retrieved October 20, 2012 . 
11. ↑ International Organizations N – W. Retrieved October 20, 2012 .